Here's another story about which GCD knows not a thing. In fact, they don't even get the heroes' names correct--they call them AIRMAIL and STAMY. That said, they'd been around with better art and better costumes for a couple of years before this crudely drawn but, I would assume, little known appearance in a one-shot called SNAPPY COMICS.
Here we have Tarantula, an early Spider-Man who appeared regularly in National's STAR-SPANGLED COMICS until his costume was usurped by the Sandman when he gave up his gas mask. Soon enough Sandman would ditch the cape and add boots but it was still the same costume. For his part, upon his revival in Roy Thomas ALL-STAR SQUADRON in the eighties, Tarantula was given one of the coolest costumes ever--designed, I believe, by Jerry Ordway.
This is, of course, the cowboy Johnny Thunder with a secret identity who supplanted the similarly named National character who had the Thunderbolt in the late forties. Originally drawn by Alex Toth, by the mid-fifties, Gil Kane was the series' regular artist. Here we have a story both pencilled and inked by Kane, a rarity for the Silver Age.
Some excellent illustration here, reminiscent of Al Williamson, Wally Wood and Jack Davis. We know what this guy had been reading! The artist is one Robert McCarty--aka Bob McCarthy. Although, he was generally associated with the Simon and Kirby studio, he also did solo work for Atlas and other companies. GCD says the plot was later re-used in AMAZING ADULT FANTASY.
All comics fans know Stan Lee. Archie Comics fans love Stan G. A lesser known Stan was Stan Kaye. Best remembered, if at all, as a SUPERMAN inker for Wayne Boring and Curt Swan for many years, here his own cartooning skills shine on this regular ACTION COMICS back up feature.
Henry Enoch Sharp was profiled in an issue of ALTER EGO early in the last decade but until then I had never heard of him nor seen any of his work in comics. The article indicates that he spent nearly his entire career in the medium at Ziff-Davis, had moved into television by the mid-fifties and later designed much of the gadgetry on THE WILD, WILD WEST! He had a very pleasant, detailed style and here lends it to a fun sci-fi story.
